As is typical in the process of establishing criterion-based standards, a combination of processes—subjective reasoning, data-based statistics, and literature review—was involved in arriving at the recommended fitness standards (cut-point scores) for the SFT test items that would be associated with the ability (or projected ability) to function independently in later years.

It has been our experience that both practitioners and researchers generally find it preferable to administer the SFT to several people at a time. In fact, group testing is preferred when the goal is to compare performance to the normative data, because all normative scores were collected in a group setting where there tends to be more social interaction and encouragement than when tests are given in an isolated environment.

Briefly, strength is increased by gradually increasing the resistance placed on a muscle (i.e., by applying what is called the overload principle). Overloading a muscle means making it do more than it is accustomed to doing. This can be accomplished using free weights (similar to the dumbbells used to test arm strength in the SFT), elastic exercise bands, Velcro strap-on weights, exercise machines that are designed for specific muscle groups, or a person’s own body weight and gravity. A

Senior Fitness Test Manual, Second Edition, and the accompanying
DVD offer a user-friendly means of evaluating physical capacity in the
growing population of older adults through easy-to-follow test protocols.

The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) is a simple, economical method of assessing the physical attributes that older adults need in order to perform daily activities. It consists of seven tests—covering lower- and upper-body strength, aerobic endurance, lower- and upper-body flexibility, agility, and balance—that can be conducted with minimal space, equipment, and technical requirements, making it easy to administer in most clinical and community settings or in the home environment. The manual presents clear instructions on preparing and administering the tests and interpreting and using the test results. Readers will find guidelines on creating senior fitness programs as well as exercises to recommend for improving functional fitness scores.

The second edition of the Senior Fitness Test Manual offers new tools to help facilitate the Senior Fitness Test. It includes expanded information on ways to modify test protocols for older adults with limiting conditions such as osteoporosis, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, stroke, fibromyalgia, heart conditions, multiple sclerosis, hip and knee replacements, chronic renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, and blindness or ow vision. Ready-to-use materials such as reproducible forms, large-print instructions (complete with photos) to post at testing stations, and large versions of performance charts make the testing process more effective, and an expanded chapter on improving test scores includes illustrated instructions for exercises that can be prescribed to seniors to help them improve their fitness.

In addition, the manual retains national normative data based on age and sex for over 7,000 adults ages 60 to 94, but it now includes criterion-referenced, clinically relevant fitness standards. Based on the authors' continued groundbreaking research on aging and functional fitness, these new criterion-referenced standards allow practitioners and older adults to identify the test scores at a specific age that are correlated with maintaining adequate functional mobility into the 90s, providing a new and deeper understanding of the test scores. This allows practitioners and their clients to focus on maintaining or improving functional fitness with customized goals meant to preserve and improve individual abilities.

The second edition of the Senior Fitness Test Manual is now packaged with a DVD that contains visual demonstrations of the tests, including setup, execution, evaluation, and modification of testing protocols to accommodate clients’ limitations. Throughout the text, DVD icons indicate when to view the DVD for live demonstrations.

Maintaining strength, endurance, flexibility, agility, and balance is critical to seniors whether their later-life interests are playing golf, running marathons, or performing daily tasks such as climbing stairs or getting out of a chair without assistance. The Senior Fitness Test Manual, Second Edition, offers a user-friendly means of evaluating physical capacity in the growing population of older adults and helping them to maintain and improve their functional fitness.

Note: The Senior Fitness Test also has companion software for recording and reporting testing data. This software is available separately or sold in a package with the manual. Check the right column of this product page for links to the various options.

Contents

Preface
How to Use This Manual
Acknowledgments
Credits

Chapter 1. Fitness Testing in Later Years: Recognizing Unique Needs of Older Adults
Importance of Fitness and Fitness Testing in Later Years
Rationale for Developing the SFT
Unique Qualities of the SFT
Uses of the SFT
History of the SFT—A Decade of Use
Summary

Resource for physical activity instructors working with older adults in
fitness settings, including senior wellness centers, assisted living
facilities, and retirement residences; also a text for university
courses in fitness programming and exercise prescription for older
adults.

Roberta E. Rikli, PhD, is professor of kinesiology and dean
emeritus of the college of health and human development at California
State University in Fullerton and was cofounder of the LifeSpan Wellness
Program at Fullerton. For the past two decades she has done extensive
work in physical performance assessment with a particular focus on
senior fitness. She has published numerous scientific papers on her work
and has made over 100 presentations at conferences and workshops in the
United States, Canada, Germany, France, Finland, Scotland, Brazil,
China, Korea, and Japan.

Dr. Rikli has served on the editorial boards of three scientific
journals and is a regular reviewer for several others. She has held
leadership positions in professional organizations, including the
International Society for Aging and Physical Activity; the American
Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD);
the American Kinesiology Association; and the National Academy of
Kinesiology.

Dr. Rikli lives in Orange, California, and enjoys playing golf, hiking,
and playing tennis.

C. Jessie Jones, PhD, is professor and chair of the department of
health science at California State University in Fullerton. She is
director of the Fibromyalgia and Pain Management Center at Fullerton and
cofounder of the Center for Successful Aging.

Dr. Jones is internationally known for her research, program design,
curriculum development, and instructor training in the field of exercise
science and aging. She has taught senior fitness classes and conducted
training workshops for senior fitness instructors for over 25 years. Her
work has been covered in numerous publications and presented at
conferences worldwide. Her professional memberships include the
Gerontological Society of America, the American Public Health
Association, and the American Academy for Pain Management.

Dr. Jones lives in Fullerton, California, where she enjoys dancing,
drumming, hiking, playing golf, and jogging with her dog.